Hugs and Hot Chocolate
by Moonsetta
Summary: For Jenihenpen. Companion piece to "A New Start." "Poor Leo's so stressed, I think he majorly needs a big hug and a mug of hot chocolate with little marshmallows    " Well…sorry about the marshmallows.


Hey everyone this is something I wrote up today when I was reading over some reviews from my story "A New Start."

This goes out to Jenihenpen for the idea and for being an awesome supporter.

If/When you read this Jenihenpen thanks again for the pep talk in the review for my one-shot perfection to a perfectionist. It's probably the best review I've ever gotten. You're an A class reader.

I hope that didn't sound too mushy, anyways onto this cute little turtle tale.

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The blue banded turtle slumped his way down the stairs of the Northampton farmhouse and into the main room. Three small, whispering voices fell silent, but the eldest turtle didn't lift his gaze from the floor. It wasn't enough that all of those unfortunate events had just occurred to them but now the turtle team leader found himself fighting a not easily overcome enemy. Insomnia.

Ever since discovering that Baxter Stockman had stolen the time scepter from Lord Simultaneous, had used that device to create his own chemical experiments and then used those chemicals on his younger brothers to turn them into four year old toddlers, sleep had not been an easy thing. He watched the toddlers during the day and had to sneak out at night for scavenging and for scouting the city. This trip to Northampton was April's and Casey's attempt to get him to relax. Unfortunately, a week in the country had done little for him. He was still tense, Stockman had the Time Scepter, he could go anywhere and at anytime he wished.

How could he relax?

"Aniki?" two little voices asked as the blue masked turtle turned his head.

Two little toddler turtles had wrapped their arms around his legs. That was another change he was getting used to. While his little brothers had gotten younger, a big sacrifice on Leo's part, involving one of Stockman's experiments, had caused him to age and grow rapidly. The world was much smaller to him now. Obediently, because somehow he always found himself doing what the little ones wanted, he bent down and let the two tots tuck their heads under his chin as he held them close.

Though the bags under his eyes, thankfully hidden by his mask, weighed his eyelids down heavily, he forced himself to look up and over at the one little brother sitting in front of the fire place, the hearth glowing warmly with bright light. The young one had downward directed eyes, betraying the feelings he was trying to hide… Shame, sorrow and embarrassment.

Leo let go of the two tots he was holding in favor of making his way over to the young turtle tot in front of the fire. The two left behind began whispering silently before sharing smiles and ducking inside the kitchen.

The little toddler beside the fire stared in the flames silently until he broke out of his haunts at the feel of a cold hand on top of his head.

"You're still sick Aniki," he said, turning his bright blue eyes on his older brother and guardian.

Leo ignored the spike eating at his stomach and sighed, the release of breath expelling some of the uncomfortable feelings before he began, "Dai-kun?"

He reached out and turned the little one's head to face him.

"You're scared?"

A little green head nodded in response.

"It's ok to be scared. A nightmare again, right?"

Again, a nod from the young one.

Both grassy green arms reached out and pulled the young turtle close. The little tot agreed, he needed a little hug. After a few minutes though, the little one pulled away and wiped his eyes dry.

"You should sleep Aniki. You're sick."

Leo smiled, "I'm well otōto, don't worry for me."

The younger turtle crossed his arms, pouted by sticking out his bottom lip and getting to his feet before stomping over and pulling Leo's mask away.

"You don't sleep Aniki," the young one stated so stoutly that it sounded like a universal moral code.

The elder had been so shocked by the movement, he hadn't bothered to take the mask back. Truthfully, it reminded him of when his little brothers often stole his mask to play games of pretend. The blue masked one was always the hero though. Hmm?

"Give that back," Leo said with a tired sigh, he wasn't up for chasing any of them around at this time, he was so tired.

"I just think Aniki needs a hug," a voice from behind the two turtles said.

The unmasked turtle turned only to be hit in the plastron with a flying green blur before a second turtle appeared in his vision and snuggled into the embrace. When Leo next looked up he spotted the down eyed turtle wearing his mask, his eyes uplifting and a small smile growing on his face until it glowed. The now blue masked turtle tot, although the color of his original mask was still visible given that the blue mask was quite large on him, began pulling pillows from the mountain of soft cloth on the couch that they all had pulled from the attic and beaten the dust out of earlier in the day.

Being distracted by the tot in his lap Leo turned his eyes away until he felt the pillows being set up behind him.

"What-"

He was cut off when the third turtle tot ran into the room, a steaming cup in his hands.

"Here Aniki," he said softly, handing it over.

Leo sniffed the liquid taking in the scent of chocolate.

Hot chocolate. His little brother had made him hot chocolate. He frowned for a second watching the three tots mirror the frown before he set the mug off to the side and pulled the tots into his arms.

"You three are the sweetest little brothers ever," he said softly while nuzzling their foreheads affectionately.

The three children smiled when they met each others' eyes. They pulled away and smiled up at their older brother. The tot that had previously been stacking up pillows returned to his job, the hot chocolate maker walked over to pick up the cup again and the last returned to curling up in Leo's lap.

Little, olive green hands handed him the steaming mug before the purple banded turtle pushed the youngest over a bit so they could both sit in the eldest's lap. Mikey grumbled but complied as grassy green arms found their way around him and his immediate older brother. A last pillow was pushed against Leo's shell as the red and still blue masked tot sat down next to him, leaning on him slightly. The eldest reached out and rubbed the dark green head of his immediate younger brother. Raph smiled sweetly in that way only a young toddler could before pulling the blue mask from his face and handing it to Mikey, who had decided to hold on to it like children his age would hold on to an undersized baby blanket.

He remembered drinking the hot chocolate and the comforting feel of three pairs of tiny arms around his neck as he opened his eyes. The eldest found himself laying among a pile of blankets and pillows in the living room of the farmhouse, the fire had long gone out and the toddler reptiles were snuggled up to him. Raph had snuggled in the closest during the night, very secretly and had his head tucked under the eldest's chin. Donatello was laying across his lower legs, snoring up quite a storm for a change. The youngest though had gotten himself in another cute sleeping position. He was completely curled up into a ball in Leo's lap, like a cat and he still held the blue mask tightly in his hand.

Hugs and Hot Chocolate.

Strangely, the combination made Leo smile, lean back against the pillows and promptly drift back into his dreams.

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Yeah, I've still got writer's block on my other stories. It's irritating!

Well review or flame or yell at me for not updating stories or…well there is this one thing, after rereading For Treasures You Hold Close I admit now, I kind of want to continue it but with so many stories, I'm really booked, if only I could find a co-author for it. Although, co-authors haven't really worked out, I keep working with others who have completely different styles of writing and they end up either stop contacting me, or I have to change my e-mail or we both get writer's block. One of those three.

Maybe if I could get some people to write like a few paragraphs based on the one-shot. Well, that's enough typing out my thoughts.

R&R

~Moonsetta


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